Politics

Gun Control, Mass Murders, and Human Nature

by John Clark 
08/19/19
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In the gun control and mass shootings debate we often hear the topic of mental illness. While mental illness is a large part of the problem, the real concerns are what has led up to it. There are causes of this state of mind over an extended period of time.

     Law enforcement always looks for motives because this can help establish patterns and common denominators for why people choose to kill others. I use the word "choose" because there is also choice involved, as we shall see further in this article.

     Through extensive research by a project funded by the National Institute of Justice, there is a database dating back to 1966 of every mass shooting. From interviews, the news and social media, manifestos, suicide notes, trial transcripts, and medical records, several common causes have surfaced. These four causes are early childhood experiences of exposure to violence, abuse, or bullying; the reaching of a mental or emotional crisis point; being radicalized online; and a means to carry out an act of killing as revenge in response to hopelessness or depression.

     Much of the killings we are witnessing today are a result of people and society failing to deal with the emotional and, sometimes, relational, issues at an early age. Dr. Caroline Leaf, a cognitive neuroscientist with a PhD in Communication Pathology, says that mental illness is "trauma and habituated incorrect thought reactions that have not been dealt with...in response to the events and circumstances of our lives." In my view, these "incorrect thought reactions" could be things like anger, hatred, or revenge, and allowing oneself (freedom of choice) to be influenced by negative and destructive ideologies, or choosing not to deal with one's issues that can escalate to killing others.

     I also see social media at fault because it has replaced communication with an actual physical person in bodily form. In other words, it has replaced talking eyeball to eyeball with another, with the intention of talking out differences and developing a greater understanding. Name calling, labeling, and hatred, can easily be expressed on social media when not physically with another person. The addiction to social media (and it is an addiction) has resulted in an unwillingness or inability to have constructive dialogue. However, this again, is a choice. One does not have to allow destructive influences in their life.

     Once again quoting Dr. Leaf, there can be "cognitive, emotional, and behavorial changes{in people} who choose to intentionally and deliberately use their minds in a very disciplined, consistent, and meaningful way."

     Scripture, too, teaches us to "not be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:1).  A person can take control of his or her thought life. One's thinking does not have to be allowed to run rampant toward thoughts of anger, hatred, and eventually premeditated murder. People need to learn to take responsibility for their thoughts and actions.

     While it is true that there are some events and circumstances over which one has little or no control like abuse, bullying, or domestic violence, a person can still take responsibility for how he or she responds to it, or by choosing to take advantage of resources and help available to counter the issues before they lead to killing others. Whatever one wants to label as the reasons for the increase in mass murders, the one significant point people are not noticing is the change in human nature.

     When I was growing up several decades ago, there was no need for gun control. We played the game "Cops and Robbers" in our backyard with toy guns in holsters. We watched Westerns on television that portrayed gun-toting cowboys on horseback chasing the bad guys. At the same time, shootings in real life were extremely rare.

     There has already been gun control legislation since 1968 when the Gun Control Act was passed by Congress. In 1993 the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act mandated federal background checks with a five-day waiting period. Here we are in 2019 still talking about gun control. In spite of all this, mass killing have increased dramatically. In the last seven years in the U.S. there have been more mass shootings than in the entire 20th century! What used to be rare without gun control has now become almost a weekly event with gun control. The bottom line is that nothing is really working. Nothing has resulted in a dramatic decrease in mass shootings.

     One more issue that is not being addressed is the time elapsed between the time a shooting is committed and the time justice is served. Ecclesiastes 8:11 in the Old Testament has some timely advice. "Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil." The time between the two is utter nonsense. The victim is dead, but in many cases the criminals live for years. 

     Four things need to happen to see a dramtic decrease in mass murders, but it will take a matter of time. One, intervention should occur as soon as there are signs of mental illness, not after it has become destructive. Do it at a young age, not allowing it to carry over to adulthood. Two, people need to become responsible and held accountable for the choices they make. Three, people need to start sitting down to have constructive conversations. Four, there must be swift justice, including the death penalty, if necessary.

     One final point. There is a denial of how bad human nature has become. The Bible says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked." The true motives for mass killings is an evil heart manifested in a variety of ways. The human heart has become depraved as a result of God being left out more and more over the course of a generation.

     Guns are only guns. The use of them to kill multiple people is an indication of human nature in need of transformation from the inside out. This is made possible only by the grace of God. Until this happens no amount of gun control legislation is going to put a stop to the evil motives of the ones using the guns.